science wire

Familiarity breeds contempt in cleaner fish
Familiarity with your partner is usually thought to promote teamwork, but new research has found that on coral reefs at least, female cleaner fish are more cooperative with unfamiliar males than their breeding partner.

Flesh-eating bacteria inspire superglue
A bio-inspired superglue has been developed by Oxford University researchers that can't be matched for sticking molecules together and not letting go.

Under the Microscope #10 – Mouse tail skin
Through the work that I am completing, I hope that I can also gain a perspective as to what goes wrong in disease processes such as skin cancer." —Claire Cox Claire Cox: “

Search begins for adoption expert to lead new centre
Search begins for adoption expert to lead new centre The University has this week begun its search for an expert to lead a new research centre focusing on the major challenges facing adopted children and their families.

Anatomy in a new dimension
Anatomy studies at Warwick Medical School have been given a technological boost as the University launches a world-first 3D anatomy learning resource in collaboration with its NHS Trust partner, University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW).

Decline in proboscis monkeys
University researchers and conservationists in Sabah have shown that proboscis monkey populations throughout Borneo may experience population decline if nothing is done to stop their habitat degradation.

The balancing act between protection and inflammation in MS
Scientists have discovered a molecular mechanism that could help explain how multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases can be exacerbated by the onset of an infection. MS is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system which affects approximately 100,000 people in the UK. The research, directed by Bruno Gran at The University of Nottingham , focused on a population of cells of the immune system known as regulatory'T cells, which control and regulate the behaviour of other immune cells.

Under the Microscope #9 – Skate head
Andrew Gillis shows us an embryonic skate head and explains how the red denticles dotted all over it have very similar properties to human teeth.

Chemists reveal why sea urchins are no easy prey
Nature invented a hi-tech composite material millions of years ago Scientists from the Electron and Scanning Probe Microscopy Unit in the University of Bristol's School of Chemistry were part of an international network of institutes specialising in materials characterisation who have helped solve a decades-long debate on the nature of the sea urchin spine.

The sweet sound of science
Musicians and music-lovers alike are invited to this year's Cambridge Science Festival - the UK's biggest free science festival - which runs from March 12-25 at venues across the University and City.

Genes may travel from plant to plant to fuel evolution
Genes may travel from plant to plant to fuel evolution Evolutionary biologists at the University of Sheffield and Brown University have documented for the first time that plants pass genes from plant to plant to fuel their evolutionary development. The evolution of plants and animals generally has been thought to occur through the passing of genes from parent to offspring and genetic modifications that happen along the way.

People forage for memories in the same way birds forage for berries
Humans move between ‘patches' in their memory using the same strategy as bees flitting between flowers for pollen or birds searching among bushes for berries.

Getting the measure of MRI
A method for imaging the brain that has largely been confined to neuroscience labs may now find its place as a proper tool for medical diagnosis. Oxford University scientists have come up with a new approach that turns functional magnetic resonance imaging ( fMRI ) from something that produces pictures of changes in brain activity into a full numerical measure of how the brain is working.

Under the Microscope #8 – Beetle embryo
The beetle shown in this video has been genetically modified so that the nucleus of each cell is labelled with a fluorescent protein." —Matt Benton Under the Microscope is a collection of videos that show glimpses of the natural and man-made world in stunning close-up.

Imperial signs up to strategic partnership with BBSRC
By Simon Levey Friday 10 February 2012 Scientists hope to deliver advances in biosciences - including food security, bioenergy, ageing and synthetic biology - faster and more cost effectively

Midges 'actively spread' bluetongue epidemic
The midges that spread bluetongue, a devastating livestock disease, across Europe in 2006 weren't ‘passengers' on the wind but actively transported the disease, Oxford University scientists have found. Bluetongue is a non-contagious virus that causes symptoms such as drooling, and swelling of the neck, head and tongue in sheep, cattle, goats, deer and other ruminants.

Director appointed for inflammation research centre
The University of Manchester, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and AstraZeneca have appointed Professor Tracy Hussell as Director of the new Manchester Collaborative Centre for Inflammation Research (MCCIR).

Defeating dementia in Down’s syndrome
A £1m brain-imaging study has just been launched at the University of Cambridge to investigate why people with Down's syndrome (DS) are at such high risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Scientists' model predicts seabird feeding habits
A computer model which predicts the foraging habits of seabirds could be a vital tool in the quest to protect wildlife along the British coastline. Experts from Plymouth University say the technique can also be used to predict the at-sea distributions of species which are too small to be tracked at present.

Research, policy, practice: conservation in the round
Conservation scientists working in partnership with practitioners and policy makers are building practical tools for real-world conservation.

Fossil cricket reveals Jurassic love song
The love song of an extinct cricket that lived 165 million years ago has been brought back to life by scientists at the University of Bristol. The song - possibly the most ancient known musical song documented to date - was reconstructed from microscopic wing features on a fossil discovered in North East China.

Brain cells created from patients’ skin cells
This approach gives us the ability to study human brain development and disease in ways that were unimaginable even five years ago." —Dr Rick Livesey of the Gurdon Institute and Department of Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge Cambridge scientists have, for the first time, created cerebral cortex cells - those that make up the brain's grey matter – from a small sample of human skin.  The researchers' findings, which were funded by Alzheimer's Research UK and the Wellcome Trust, were published today .

£4.5M biomedical research boost
Leading university neuroscience and immunology research which helps translate new knowledge into improved clinical practice and treatments for the benefit of patients is set to receive a £4.5M funding boost. Cardiff University has secured funding from the Wellcome Trust's new Institutional Strategic Support Fund (ISSF) - a new fund designed to support major scientific research.

Under the Microscope #5 – Daisy
In this video Beverley Glover explains how a daisy is a collection of tiny flowers grouped together to make it look like a single big flower. " Under the Microscope is a collection of videos that show glimpses of the natural and man-made world in stunning close-up. They will be released every Monday and Thursday for the next couple of months and you can see them here: http://bit.ly/A6bwCE Glover: “The flowering plants (Angiosperms) form the dominant vegetation over most of the Earth's land surface.

Boost for bioscience doctoral training

‘Picture This #14′ Polymelus, Museum of Zoology
All British thoroughbred racehorses, including Polymelus, are descended from three stallions - the Darley Arabian, the Godolphin Arabian and the Byerley Turk.

Protein study helps superbug battle
Scientists have shed light on the way superbugs such as MRSA are able to become resistant to antibiotics. Researchers have mapped the complex molecular structure of an enzyme found in many bacteria. These molecules - known as restriction enzymes - control the speed at which bacteria can acquire resistance to drugs and eventually become superbugs.

Bioscience investment for Manchester

Life extinguished, life rekindled
This year's Darwin Lectures address the theme of life. Tonight's speaker, Cambridge academic Robert Macfarlane, will discuss "Life in Ruins" in art and literature.

In Search of Life at Lady Mitchell Hall
Darwin College continues the popular Darwin College lecture series this week on 27 January with Life in Ruins.

Making sure the food we grow is good enough to eat
Producing enough food to feed the world's growing population is becoming a major concern. But making sure the food we grow is safe, nutritious and good enough to eat is also fraught with difficulty.

Under the Microscope #3 – mouse embryo
In this video, we see a mouse embryo developing. Erica Watson tells us that studying this process helps us better understand human pregnancy. We can get valuable information from a mouse model about how an embryo and its placenta develop over time." —Erica Watson Under the Microscope is a collection of videos that show glimpses of the natural and man-made world in stunning close-up.

Fiona Powrie wins top European prize for medicine

Thoroughbred speed gene has its origins in native breeds
Research by a team of scientists suggests that a variant of the so-called speed gene found in top racehorses can be traced back to a single British mare living around 300 years ago. That mare may have had a similar genetic make-up to today's sturdy native ponies.

UCL and partners win £5.4 million for PhD studentships

South West researchers awarded £4.2m to improve our understanding of life on Earth
A new partnership, announced today by the Minister for Universities and Science, David Willetts, aims to establish the South West of England as a centre for international excellence in training for bioscience and food security research.

Imperial and partners receive £4.5million from the BBSRC to equip the life scientists of the future
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) has awarded approximately £4.5 million to Imperial College London, Royal Holloway, University of London and the Research Complex at Harwell to establish a joint Doctoral Training Partnership.

1.66m to explore the challenges and opportunities of making science public
Climategate, Nuttgate, opposition to GM crops, the MMR and BSE health scares: over the last 30 years high profile political crises surrounding the integrity of research, the status of expert advice a

Star Organic Chemist Appointed
The University of Manchester is pleased to announce that Professor David Leigh FRS, one of the world's foremost organic chemists, will be joining the School of Chemistry later in the year.

Microbubbles provide new boost for biofuel production
Microbubbles provide new boost for biofuel production A solution to the difficult issue of harvesting algae for use as a biofuel has been developed using microbubble technology pioneered at the University of Sheffield. The technique builds on previous research in which microbubbles were used to improve the way algae is cultivated.

Small things, big thinking
Using an electron microscope it's possible for the human eye to see in minute detail the foot of the fruit fly - an appendage that is just about the same width as a human hair.

Computational research aims to alleviate embarrassing bladder problems
Scientists from the University of Birmingham and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay are working together to develop new ways of treating bladder overactivity, a problem which affects millions of people worldwide. The joint research focuses on understanding the electrical activity in the bladder and how this goes wrong and causes urinary incontinence.

Anatomy museum opens doors to public
A facial cast of mass murderer William Burke taken shortly before his execution is to form part of an exhibition of medical artefacts.

Stem cell genetic ’switch’ offers Alzheimer’s hope
PA 14/12 Scientists at The University of Nottingham are leading a £1.3 million research project to develop new treatments to replace brain cells lost during dementia.

Breeding better grasses for food and fuel
Newly discovered family of genes could help us breed grasses with improved properties for food and fuel. Unlike starchy grains, the energy stored in the woody parts of plants is locked away and difficult to get at.

New tool puts plant hormone under surveillance
Charles Darwin was the first to speculate that plants contain hormones. His pioneering research led to the identification of the very first and key plant growth hormone — auxin — in 1937. Seventy five years on an international team of researchers have made another break-through in our understanding of this important plant hormone.

Scientists: they are surprisingly normal
One in four of us suffer from mental illness at some point in our lives - but the stigma surrounding mental health has proved hard to shift.

Plymouth University graduates share their tips on going back to nature
Three resourceful graduates who took up a challenge issued by TV chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall to travel the British Isles and ‘live off the land’ have put pen to paper to share their experiences.

Two embryos is optimum number for safe and effective IVF treatment, say researchers
A study by scientists at the University of Glasgow has shown that IVF treatment is most effective and safest when no more than two embryos are used – particularly for older women. Currently in the UK, women over 40 years old are allowed to have three embryos used in an IVF treatment cycle, but the research published in The Lancet says the chances of success are no greater than for two while the risk of complications is higher.

Testing vitamin D levels in most patients is ’costly, confusing and without credibility’
A study by scientists at the University of Glasgow has shown that IVF treatment is most effective and safest when no more than two embryos are used – particularly for older women. Currently in the UK, women over 40 years old are allowed to have three embryos used in an IVF treatment cycle, but the research published in The Lancet says the chances of success are no greater than for two while the risk of complications is higher.

Memory experiment takes off
Memory experiment takes off Researchers at Cambridge and Durham universities have launched what could be the world's biggest ever memory experiment. The psychologists have teamed up with the Guardian to run an online experiment for members of the public to test their memory abilities and find out how they stack up against their friends.

Warwick joins £2.2m Anglo-Canadian quest for new weapons in war against antibiotic resistance
University of Warwick researchers have teamed up with Canadian scientists on a £2.2 million project to search for new antibiotics which will beat resistance in deadly “superbugs”.

Leeds genetic research ’blueprint’ for NHS
The approach to genetic research established at the University of Leeds could serve as a blueprint for how the NHS could make more of the advances new genetic technologies can deliver. The UK Government has set up a Human Genomics Strategy Group to improve new advances in genetic medicine in the health service.

Magnetically-levitated flies offer clues to future of life in space
PA 03/12 Using powerful magnets to levitate fruit flies can provide vital clues to how biological organisms are affected by weightless conditions in space, researchers at The University of Nottingham say. The team of scientists has shown that simulating weightlessness in fruit flies here on earth with the use of magnets causes the flies to walk more quickly — the same effect observed during similar experiments on the International Space Station.

Plymouth nature in the picture for photograph competition
Photographers with a keen eye for the flora and fauna of Plymouth are being invited to take part in a new competition being launched this month.

‘Picture This #11’ – Horses’ teeth, Whipple Museum
The models demonstrate the appearance of horses' teeth at different ages, the effects of wind sucking and crib biting.

‘Extreme Sleepover #5’ – a night in the life of a shift-working medic and clock biologist
In the fifth of a series of reports contributed by Cambridge researchers, medic and scientist Ak Reddy describes the challenges of disrupting our circadian programming.

‘Extreme Sleepover #2’ – A night in Ghana’s tropical forest
In the second of a series of reports contributed by Cambridge researchers, zoologist Ben Phalan ventures into a tropical forest to understand the impact of encroaching agriculture.

Chinese fossils shed light on the evolutionary origin of animals from single-cell ancestors
Evidence of the single-celled ancestors of animals, dating from the interval in the Earth's history just before multicellular animals appeared, has been discovered in 570 million-year-old rocks from S

Treating sleep problems may be important in schizophrenia
A study of schizophrenia patients has found profound disruptions in their sleep patterns, with half also having irregular body clocks that are out of synch with the pattern of night and day. The Oxford researchers argue that the extent and severe nature of these long-term sleep problems should be considered for treatment along with the other symptoms of schizophrenia, as they have such a strong impact on mood, social function, mental abilities and quality of life.

Balancing the womb
The study by academics at the University of Bristol suggests a new mechanism by which the level of myosin phosphorylation is regulated in the pregnant uterus.  The researchers, Claire Hudson and Prof

Learning left from right
Pop psychology assertions about left-brain/right-brain differences are pretty much tosh. Our personalities are not dominated by a battle between the creative skills residing in one half of the brain competing with the hard reasoning in the other. But that's not to say there aren't any differences between the left and right sides of our brains.

Human skull study causes evolutionary headache
20 Dec 2011 Scientists studying a unique collection of human skulls have shown that changes to the skull shape thought to have occurred independently through separate evolutionary events may have actually precipitated each other. Researchers at the Universities of Manchester and Barcelona examined 390 skulls from the Austrian town of Hallstatt and found evidence that the human skull is highly integrated, meaning variation in one part of the skull is linked to changes throughout the skull.

Wolfson Foundation awards £20million to UCL for experimental neurology centre
A new centre dedicated to the understanding and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases will be established at UCL following the award of a £20million grant from the Wolfson Foundation, it was announced today.

Master of Trinity College, Cambridge

University researcher showcases his work in London
Martin Coath has devised ‘The Brain Game’ to encourage a deeper thinking about the science behind how the brain functions.

Recognition for endangered species studies
As the climate changes, what factors allow some species to survive while others perish? Professor Mike Bruford, of the School of Biosciences, has been at the forefront of the international drive to solve this increasingly urgent question.

Boost for endangered species study
As the climate changes, what factors allow some species to survive while others perish? Professor Mike Bruford, of the School of Biosciences, has been at the forefront of the international drive to solve this increasingly urgent question.

Low iron levels in blood give clue to blood clot risk
Image: Computed tomography (CT) scan of the lungs of a patient with a large pulmonary embolus. Blood vessels should appear white, but the grey material is a blood clot which is blocking the flow of blood to the left lung. People with low levels of iron in the blood have a higher risk of dangerous blood clots, according to research published in the journal Thorax today.

UK and Indian researchers unite to fight global tuberculosis epidemic
University of Birmingham academics from the School of Biosciences are joining forces with peers from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (IISc) in a new research partnership focused on tackling tuberculosis (TB). Combining the complementary strengths of both institutions in this area, the research will take a novel approach in studying the biology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes TB, with the aim of developing new treatments and diagnostics.

The man with the golden brain
What's the point of a brain? A fundamental question that has led Professor Daniel Wolpert to some remarkable conclusions about how and why the brain controls and predicts movement.

Spring’s rising soil temperatures see hormones wake seeds from their winter slumber
Dormant seeds in the soil detect and respond to seasonal changes in soil temperature by changing their sensitivity to plant hormones, new research by the University of Warwick has found. This sensitivity alters the depth of dormancy, indicating to the seed when it is the right time of year to germinate and grow.

Better and more affordable treatments for sufferers of autoimmune diseases
From Addison's disease to Rheumatoid Arthritis, Crohn's disease to Multiple Sclerosis — the list of crippling autoimmune diseases is long and they affect millions of people world-wide.

Swarms of bees could unlock secrets to human brains
Swarms of bees could unlock secrets to human brains Scientists at the University of Sheffield believe decision making mechanisms in the human brain could mirror how swarms of bees choose new nest sites. Striking similarities have been found in decision making systems between humans and insects in the past but now researchers believe that bees could teach us about how our brains work.

Mitochondria and the great gender divide
Why are there two sexes? It's a question that has long perplexed generations of scientists, but researchers from UCL have come up with a radical new answer: mitochondria.

Tiny electric currents may aid stroke recovery
Tiny electric currents applied across regions of the brain can improve hand movements in recovering stroke patients for a short period, an Oxford University study has demonstrated. The researchers are hopeful that developing this brain stimulation technique may provide a useful addition to standard physiotherapy in helping the recovery of stroke patients.

IT pioneer makes donation to fight autism
A leading UK businesswoman has made a major donation towards autism research.

Human brains unlikely to evolve into a “supermind” as price to pay would be too high
Human minds have hit an evolutionary “sweet spot” and - unlike computers - cannot continually get smarter without trade-offs elsewhere, according to research by the University of Warwick. Researchers asked the question why we are not more intelligent than we are given the adaptive evolutionary process.

'Alien' eggs benefit mockingbirds
Mockingbirds rarely remove the ‘alien' eggs parasitic cowbirds lay in their nests because keeping them dilutes the risk of their own eggs being attacked.

Leading neurosurgery research
The University's first Professor of Neurosurgery to help lead the next generation of neurosurgeons and neurosurgery research has been appointed.

Being told painting is fake changes brain’s response to art
Being told that a work of art is authentic or fake alters the brain's response to the visual content of artwork, Oxford University academics have found. Fourteen participants were placed in a brain scanner and shown images of works by ‘Rembrandt' – some were genuine, others were convincing imitations painted by different artists.

Professor Dominiczak appointed Editor-in-Chief of Hypertension
The American Heart Association has appointed Professor Anna Dominiczak as editor-in-chief of its journal Hypertension .

Anti-inflammatory chemical could prevent stroke damage
05 Dec 2011 Drugs that block inflammation in the brain could help patients who have a stroke or a brain haemorrhage, Manchester scientists said today (5 December) at the British Society for Immunology Congress in Liverpool.

Experts launch bid to engineer super crop
Experts launch bid to engineer super crop Scientists at the University of Sheffield are beginning a search for the ultimate plant leaf in a bid to build super crops that will fight the world´s food shortage.

President welcomes first Alan Gilbert Memorial Scholar to Manchester

Watching living cells in action
Leading experts from around the globe are to gather at The University of Nottingham's China campus to discuss breakthroughs in technologies that help scientists to see inside living cells with unprecedented detail and also to look within the human body at a microscopic level.

¤4.3million project to examine history of the transatlantic slave trade
Two University of Bristol archaeologists are part of EUROTAST, a new European-funded network which will bring together an unprecedented range of young researchers to examine one of the most traumatic chapters in world history: the transatlantic slave trade.

University and Trust sign up to historic health partnership
Julie Moore, Chief Executive of UHB with Professor Charlie Craddock who will be Transitional Director of the BHP and Professor David Eastwood, Vice-Chancellor of the University.

Aggression prevents the better part of valour... in fig wasps
Researchers have confirmed a unique behaviour within the male population of tiny fig wasps that pollinate fig trees - they team up to help pregnant females, even if they have not mated themselves.

Groundbreaking for research institute
King's College London on Monday broke ground on an innovative facility that will accelerate neuroscience research, with a goal to fast-track the development of treatments for people suffering from disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and epilepsy. The £37 million Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, located at the College's Institute of Psychiatry on its Denmark Hill Campus, will be Europe's leading research centre focussing on neurological and psychiatric illnesses.

Museum receives cast of 1.9 million year old hominid
Oxford University Museum of Natural History has been presented with casts of the skull and hand of Australopithecus sediba, a 1.9 million year old hominid species.

Volunteers match whale calls on Whale FM
Curious ‘citizen scientists' can now help marine researchers better understand how Killer Whales and Pilot Whales communicate. Scientific American , in partnership with The Zooniverse team at Oxford University, launched the whale-song project, Whale FM, today at http://whale.fm . The Whale FM website displays calls from both Orcas (Killer Whales) and the lesser known Pilot Whales.

The communicative brain
What is it about the human brain that makes language possible? Two evolutionary systems working together, say neuroscientists Professor William Marslen-Wilson and Professor Lorraine Tyler. " The ability to communicate using language is fundamental to the distinctive and remarkable success of the modern human.

University celebrates Wellcome Trust’s seventy fifth birthday
Four renowned experts are to celebrate 75 years of the Wellcome Trust today (28 November) at The University of Manchester at an event to debate the ethics of biomedical research involving animals containing human material.

New database for vital model organism launched
An important novel component of this project is the construction of intuitive tools to allow the research community to involve itself in database curation, and ensure that the scientific information published in their papers is visible to the entire biological research community." —Steve Oliver, Professor of Systems Biology & Biochemistry, who is spearheading the initiative A new database promises to be an invaluable resource to scientists who use a unique single-celled fungus to study human diseases.

Warwick’s super computer seeks way to mimic mollusc shell
Warwick's super computer seeks way to mimic mollusc shell One of the first tasks for Warwick's new £1.3 million super computer is to use its monster megabytes to analyse the natural properties of the tiny mollusc shell.

Improved cancer genetic testing hope
WELSH patients are among the first taking part in a pioneering initiative to demonstrate how genetic tests could help match NHS cancer patients to the most appropriate treatment.

Realising Their Potential: Children in Care Check Out Cambridge
This year's October half-term, which coincided with National Care Leavers Week, saw 159 young people in care visit Cambridge for an experience of higher education.

Two for joy
An innovative dance performance with creative input from Professor Nicky Clayton, a expert on bird cognition, goes on tour this week.

Chicken virus gives insight into cancers
Fresh discoveries about a disease commonly found in chickens could improve our understanding of some types of cancers in people. The study into Marek's disease could also have major implications for the poultry industry, making it possible to breed birds with greater resistance to the disease. Analysing genes Scientists analysed thousands of genes to pinpoint those that play a role in Marek's disease - a viral infection that costs the global poultry industry more than £1.4 billion a year.

A consequence of the thalidomide disaster
It is some fifty years since the thalidomide disaster when several thousand children around the world were born with severe limb defects after their mothers had been given thalidomide as sedative and remedy for morning sickness.

UN warns cassava virus, first identified by Bristol researchers, nearing an epidemic in Africa
A virus that attacks the cassava plant - estimated to be the world's third most important staple crop - is reaching epidemic proportions in parts of Africa, UN scientists warned today.

Vaccine offers hope to poorest farmers
A new approach to vaccinating cattle could help farmers worldwide, research suggests. Scientists have developed a technique using a harmless parasite, which lives in cows but has no effect on their health, to carry medicines into the animals' bloodstream.

Why near-death events are tricks of mind
Near-death experiences are not paranormal but triggered by a change in normal brain function, according to researchers. Psychologists who reviewed a range of phenomena such as out-of-body experiences, visions of tunnels of light or encounters with dead relatives, say they are tricks of the mind rather than a glimpse of the afterlife.

Search for new cancer treatment
University scientists have been awarded £216,500 by the charity Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research to investigate mutations that cause the development of leukaemia.

New treatment for multiple sclerosis: Cambridge University translates research at the bench into a drug at the bedside
New treatment for multiple sclerosis: Cambridge University translates research at the bench into a drug at the bedside CARE-MS2 represents the culmination of many years clinical and laboratory research aimed at demonstrating the potential for alemtuzumab as a highly effective treatment for multiple sclerosis and understanding mechanisms involved in the complex natural history of the disease." —Professor Alastair Compst

Launch of collaborative infection research institute
The Bloomsbury Institute for Pathogen Research (BiPR), a joint venture between UCL and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), was launched this week.

Parasite lives 'double life'
Scientists keen to understand and preserve global biodiversity have been quietly going about a mammoth task: indexing the world's known species.

Stem cell approach primes immune system to fight cancer
Stem cell techniques have been used in the lab as a new way of priming the body's own immune cells to attack cancer, in a proof-of-principle study by Oxford University scientists. The technical advance opens up the possibility of using stem cells derived from a patient's skin as a source of key immune cells, called dendritic cells, which can orchestrate an immune response against a tumour.

Whiskers marked milestone in evolution of mammals from reptiles
Whiskers marked milestone in evolution of mammals from reptiles Research from the University of Sheffield comparing rats and mice with their distance relatives the marsupial, suggests that moveable whiskers were an important milestone in the evolution of mammals from reptiles.

£2M boost for schizophrenia research
A £2.3M funding boost designed to help scientists pinpoint which genes can put people at increased risk of schizophrenia has been awarded to a team of leading University scientists.

Hi-tech scans catch prehistoric mite hitching ride on spider
Scientists have produced amazing three-dimensional images of a prehistoric mite as it hitched a ride on the back of a 50 million-year-old spider. At just 176 micrometres long and barely visible to the naked eye, University of Manchester researchers and colleagues in Berlin believe the mite, trapped inside Baltic amber (fossil tree resin), is the smallest arthropod fossil ever to be scanned using X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanning techniques.

Scientists defuse the Vietnam time bomb
Scientists defuse the Vietnam time bomb A key mechanism by which a bacterial pathogen causes the deadly tropical disease melioidosis has been discovered by an international team of scientists. The findings are published today (Thursday 10 November 2011) and show how a toxin produced by the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei kills cells by preventing protein synthesis.

Sainsbury Laboratory wins World’s Best Learning Building award
The Sainsbury Laboratory has been acclaimed as the World's Best Learning Building 2011 at the World Architecture Festival in Barcelona.

Research promises five-fold reduction in footrot among sheep
Researchers at the University of Warwick have shown that proper management of footrot could cut lameness from one in ten to one in fifty sheep.

Nobel Laureate opens international cancer conference
Nobel Laureate Sir Tim Hunt opened the first ever international meeting on bacterial infection as a cause of cancer, held at King's College London recently.

Frog trade linked to emergence of killer fungus
Adapted from a news release issued by the Natural Environment Research Council. Photo: Matthew Fisher Monday 7 November 2011 The global trade in frogs, toads and other amphibians may have accidentally helped create and spread the deadly fungal disease, chytridiomycosis. Researchers say that unless the trade is regulated, even deadlier strains of the disease may soon emerge, further devastating amphibian populations worldwide.

Frances Ashcroft wins top women in science award
Professor Frances Ashcroft has won the top award in the L'ORéAL-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards for 2012.

Investigating the brain’s white matter

Easily ’Re-programmable cells’ could be key in creation of new life forms
PA 345/11 Scientists at The University of Nottingham are leading an ambitious research project to develop an in vivo biological cell-equivalent of a computer operating system.

Insects dine out on wild feast
Watching a dead animal rot may not sound like everyone's idea of fun but for insect expert Sarah Beynon it can provide a feast of information.

Alice’s Wonderland inspires science’s Wondermind
Psychologists, inspired by Lewis Carroll's enduring stories of Alice in Wonderland, have developed an interactive website to help children learn about science and the human brain.

University of Birmingham expert spearheads campaign to boost antibiotic research
A top UK microbiologist from the University of Birmingham is championing a major campaign calling for urgent new investment in antibiotic research.

Unravelling the causes of the Ice Age megafauna extinctions
Was it humans or climate change that caused the extinctions of the iconic Ice Age mammals (megafauna) such as the woolly rhinoceros and woolly mammoth?

Researchers awarded grants to help sick babies and children
Three leading research teams at the University of Bristol have been given more than £400,000 in grants to carry out studies which aim to help reduce the suffering of sick babies and children.

Lord Rees explores 'limits of science' in Romanes Lecture
Lord Rees explored the limits of our current understanding of science, whether there are intrinsic limits to our scientific understanding, and the factors limiting how science is applied, at Oxford University's Romanes Lecture on Wednesday 2 November 2011.

Bordesely Green Girls School has a whale of a time at Cambridge

Daughter cells receive the same number of chromosomes
Scientists at Warwick Medical School have uncovered the molecular process of how cells are by-passing the body's inbuilt ‘health checkpoint' with cells that carry unequal numbers of chromosomes that have a higher risk of developing cancer. Studying simple yeast cells, scientists now understand the mechanism by which cells ensure their daughter cells receive the correct number of chromosomes.

A dog’s life: £500k study launched into man’s best friend
31 Oct 2011 University of Manchester researchers have launched one of the largest studies into the relationship between man and his ‘best friend' to explore how humans have influenced the characteristics of domestic dogs through breeding, feeding, training and socialising.

Creating impact through cultural collaborations
King's has hosted a meeting of minds with some of its key cultural partners to develop new ideas for how the sector can work with the academic community.

GM mosquitoes' wild success
Genetically modified male mosquitoes have been shown, for the first time, to mate successfully in the wild. The experiment, carried out in the Cayman Islands and reported in Nature Biotechnology , shows that males, modified so that any offspring they father die before reproducing, could help to tackle outbreaks of dengue fever and other insect-borne diseases.

New protein structure expands nature’s repertoire of biomolecules
A new, artificial protein structure has been made by a team of University of Bristol chemists, biochemists and mathematicians, a paper reports this week.

Cancer Stem Cells - new approaches
New ways of looking at cancer stem cells have been explained by a leading academic at a seminar hosted by the European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute (ECSCRI).

First patient receives novel gene therapy for type of blindness
Adapted from a news release issued by Oxford University and Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals. Photo courtesy of BBC News. Thursday 27 October 2011 The first patient to receive gene therapy for an incurable type of blindness has been treated as part of a trial led by Oxford University in collaboration with Imperial College London.

Nobel Prize scientist opens lecture Series
Professor Christiane Nusslein-Volhard, Director of the Genetic Department at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology at Tubingen, launched the King's International Lecture series this week.

Adoption under the spotlight of new University of Sussex research centre
Adoption under the spotlight of new University of Sussex research centre The major challenges facing adopted children and their families will be the focus of a new research centre at the University of Sussex.

First patient receives novel gene therapy for type of blindness
The first patient to receive gene therapy for an incurable type of blindness was treated at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford this week as part of a trial led by Oxford University.

Researchers announce pioneering cancer drug project
University of Sussex researchers announce pioneering cancer drug project University of Sussex researchers have found tumour-killing properties in an existing drug commonly used to suppress the immune system - a discovery that could lead to a new treatment for blood cancer.

UK scientists come together to help feed the 7 billion
The Universities of Exeter and Bristol, in partnership with Rothamsted Research have officially joined forces to tackle one of the biggest challenges facing humanity: how can we sustainably feed a growing population? The Food Security and Land Research Alliance launches at the House of Commons today amidst reports that the world population is on the brink of reaching seven billion.

’Sensitivity gene’ predicts whether children benefit from CBT
Research has shown that a genetic marker, called Serotonin Transporter Promoter Polymorphism (5HTPP), can be used to predict whether a child suffering from anxiety disorder will benefit from cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT). This is the first time that genetic analysis has been used to assess whether a psychological treatment like CBT will work for children.

Breakthrough in the production of flood-tolerant crops
This week thousands of families lost their homes and crops as flood waters swept across Central America. In Thailand huge tracts of farmland were submerged as the country faced its worst flooding in 50 years. Across the globe agricultural production is at risk as catastrophic flooding becomes a world-wide problem.

Salmonella researcher receives European honour
A leading microbiology expert from Imperial College London has been elected to the membership of the European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO), it was announced this week.

Protecting the brain when energy runs low
Researchers from the Universities of Leeds, Edinburgh and Dundee have shed new light on the way that the brain protects itself from harm when 'running on empty'. The findings could lead to new treatments for patients who are at risk of stroke because their energy supply from blood vessels feeding the brain has become compromised.

Could hypertension drugs help people with Alzheimer’s?
Within the next 20 years it is expected the number of people with Alzheimer's disease (AD) will double from its current figure of half a million to one million. A new study has looked at whether certain types of drugs used to treat high blood pressure, also called hypertension, might have beneficial effects in reducing the number of new cases of Alzheimer's disease each year.

King’s at the London Science Festival
King's is hosting a range of events this month as part of the first ever London Science Festival. From 21-25 October, the College will host debates, demonstrations and presentations on a diverse range of topics, ranging from how to treat a heart attack to the world of nanomaterials.

Brain art
A new exhibition showcasing the University's world-leading brain imaging research will be on display as part of a Cardiff festival.

Study explores whether a bigger brain makes for a smarter child in babies born prematurely
Friday 14 October Adapted from a news release issued by the American Academy of Neurology New research published this week suggests the growth rate of the brain's cerebral cortex in babies born prematurely may predict how well they are able to think, speak, plan and pay attention later childhood.

Skin cancer research awarded major European grant
13 Oct 2011 University of Manchester researchers looking into skin cancer have been awarded a prestigious European Research Council grant worth €1.5 million.

Cichlid male nannies help out, especially if they’ve been sneaking
Subordinate male cichlid fish who help with the childcare for the dominant breeding pair are occasionally actually the fathers of some of the offspring they help to rear, according to new research from the University of Bristol published today in PLoS ONE. This sneaky paternity increases the subordinate fish's investment in the offspring in their care.

Stem cell pioneers discuss breakthroughs
World leaders in the field of stem cells have gathered in Cardiff for a conference supported by the European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute (ECSCRI).

X-rays help advance the battle against heart disease
Friday 7 October 2011 Adapted from a press release issued by Diamond Light Source Scientists from Imperial College London and Diamond Light Source have revealed the structure of a cholesterol-lowering-drug target. Published in the journal Nature , this finding could lead to much more effective drugs to tackle high cholesterol levels, a condition that increases the risk of heart disease.

Nerve cell scientist’s major award
Professor Alun Davies, a nerve cell expert at the School of Biosciences, has received his second major honour of the year.

Organic medical imaging system to detect disease and track medication
PA 296/11 Scientists at The University of Nottingham are developing microscopic organic medical imaging systems to support a new generation of breakthrough treatments for currently incurable diseases and chronic life-threatening illnesses.

Prestigious appointment for Nottingham professor
A University of Nottingham academic has been appointed to a prestigious new position on an advisory board for the Medical Research Council (MRC).

Researchers call for more awareness of male breast cancer as cases rise
Awareness of male breast cancer is low and most men do not even know they are at risk despite an increase in cases, reveals new research from the University of Leeds. Breast cancer is very much seen as a female disease with around 48,000 diagnoses in women in the UK each year. However around 340 men, equivalent to 30 football teams will be diagnosed with breast cancer each year and around 70 men will die.

Improving photosynthesis to increase food and fuel production
PA 292/11 Producing enough sustainable and affordable food for a growing population and replacing diminishing fossil fuels will be one of the biggest challenges facing the world in the coming decades. Even a small change to the efficiency of photosynthesis could make a significant difference to yields.

Bacteria lessons for festival-goers
University of Manchester scientists have been taking science into the field – quite literally – with microbiology lessons at the Glastonbury Festival.

Another step towards resisting breast cancer
Medical researchers at the University of Leeds have come a step closer to understanding how to stop breast cancers from coming back. Their findings, published in the International Journal of Cancer , suggest that some novel drugs that are being developed to tackle other cancers should be considered as a future treatment for breast cancer too.

Research grant to study Lewy body disease
Researchers at the University of Bristol's Dementia Research Group have been awarded a grant to investigate the different forms of amyloid-? (A?) in Lewy body disease and its association with other diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. The grant of over £80,000 has been awarded by local charity BRACE for the project "Contribution of A? to Lewy body disease".  BRACE funds research into Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.

New Psycholinguistics Research
Cecile De Cat (School of Modern Languages and Cultures, Linguistics and Phonetics) has been awarded Faculty of Arts pump-priming funds for a collaborative pilot study into language processing.

Brain tissue bank set to help cancer patients
The UK's first brain tumour tissue bank is being launched with support from the University of Glasgow.

UCL centre lauded in major brain imaging report
The Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging (WTCN) at UCL is cited as a world leader in a new report on human functional brain imaging.

Museum visitors learn how the body functions
Visitors to the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) had chance to ‘Meet a Physiologist' recently as part of the museum's season of science engagement events. Physiologists from The University of Manchester's Faculty of Life Sciences and Cardiovascular Research Group in the School of Biomedicine were able to showcase their research to more than 5,000 visitors to the museum on Saturday, 3 September.

Global Food Security Champion appointed by public partnership
The Global Food Security programme (GFS) has appointed a University of Leeds academic as Champion to take on the key role of coordinator and spokesperson for the group.

Family nature event makes bugs count
Do you know your leaf hoppers from your devil’s coach horse? Come along and get up close to nature and meet the city’s minibeasts at a family fun day this Saturday.

Cancer-killing cells are caught on film in more 3D detail than ever before
The researchers, from Imperial College London and the University of Oxford, used 'optical' laser tweezers and a super-resolution microscope to see the inner workings of white blood cells at the highest resolution ever.

£300,000 for new study into the origin of AIDS
£300,000 has been awarded to the Universities of Bristol and Cambridge, along with a further £1.5million to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, for a joint research project to investigate why the HIV virus only emerged in the 1970s despite entering the human population many decades earlier.

New study set to combat spread of diseases from animals to humans
Researchers at the University of Glasgow have received substantial funding for a groundbreaking new study which will help to prevent the transmission of fever-causing illnesses between livestock and people in northern Tanzania.

Prof. Andy Baker awarded £1.1m from British Heart Foundation
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has given a top accolade to the University of Glasgow's Professor Andrew Baker, one of the UK's leading heart scientists.

Project to tackle most common food poisoning bacteria
Twelve projects, bringing together researchers from across disciplines, will study Campylobacter in the food chain, from field to plate. Together, the projects cover a comprehensive range of questions about Campylobacter, which is the leading cause of food poisoning in the UK. The projects, funded through a joint call for proposals managed by BBSRC , the Food Standards Agency and Defra , will use a total of over £4 million funding to find out more about the organism that causes over 300,000 cases of food poisoning a year in England and Wales, and how best to control it.

Tackling the most common food poisoning
The University of Nottingham is to play a major role in a cross disciplinary nationwide study to find out more about the organism that causes over 300,000 cases of food poisoning every year in England and Wales and how best to control it. Campylobacter is the leading cause of food poisoning in the UK.

Researchers probe genetic link to blindness
University of Leeds researchers have used next-generation DNA sequencing techniques to discover what causes a rare form of inherited eye disorders, including cataracts and glaucoma, in young children. The findings should make it easier to identify families with this condition who are at risk of conceiving children with severely impaired vision, so they can receive appropriate genetic counselling.

Why we need plant scientists
'Plant scientist' should take its rightful place beside 'doctor', 'lawyer' and 'vet' in the list of top professions to which our most capable young people aspire, according to a hard-hitting letter by an international group of botanists and crop scientists published today.

Genetics ‘cloud’ opportunities for researchers and clinicians
Gene sequencing and analysis could be dramatically speeded up, leading to patients receiving a quicker and more accurate diagnosis, thanks to research led by Eagle Genomics Ltd. Using cloud computing technology, the researchers have found they can slash the amount of time it takes to store the huge amounts of information produced when individual genes are sequenced and analysed.

Major advance in sleeping sickness drug made by Glasgow scientists
Scientists have made a key advance in developing a safer cure for sleeping sickness. Sleeping sickness – or human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) – is a neglected tropical disease of major importance.

Scientists develop artificial biominerals
University of Manchester scientists have successfully created synthetic crystals whose structures and properties mimic those of naturally occurring biominerals such as seashells. The findings, published , could be an important step in the development of high-performance materials, which could be manufactured under environmentally-friendly conditions.

Harmless soil-dwelling bacteria successfully kill cancer
A bacterial strain of a harmless soil-dwelling bacteria that specifically targets tumours could soon be used as a vehicle to deliver drugs in frontline cancer therapy.

Coral could be used to create sunscreens
Researchers at King's College London have discovered how coral produces natural sunscreen compounds to protect itself from damaging UV rays, leading scientists to believe these compounds could form the basis of a new type of sunscreen for humans.

Winning wildlife photography
Cardiff ecologist Adam Seward has snapped up another prize in this year's British Ecological Society photographic competition.